Reply to thread

Message: [QUOTE="Pudge, post: 4115767, member: 364"] I simply think many of you don't know what you are watching. I don't really care about the kenpom Defense metrics - but NO ONE should be surprised to see a Tom Izzo team and VCU at the top of that kind of scale. Memphis wouldn't ever scare me. When you have Bruce Pearl with Auburn; then Izzo with Michigan State; and the VCU manic ... those are 3 of the toughest identities in the college game. Are you gonna tell me that Big East teams are nearly that defensive/physical/distinct? There aren't many Programs that come at you like those 3. Upstater - sorry, you simply have no credible take on VCU. They have 9 guys 6-3 to 6-9 and play like dogs. They are gonna be tough in the A10 - as they always are. I have no insight to their losses to Chattanooga or Wagner; but they are darn good. Sanogo has next level play; but having him pass inside out is his next skillset - no doubt. He had 3 assists ... maybe we saw the start. You can't have guys like Seth Greenberg saying the kid never passes. He can. I agree on Gaffney; he's useful ... but he doesn't manage the team in end game situations well enough for wins. Yesterday, one of you guys were knocking Cole = WTF. He is exactly who we need. Jackson made a lot of winning plays: his toughness inside grabbing D rebounds to his adroit long passes. I dunno if we will see his diversity in scoring; but he needs to be on the floor. When you say you wouldn't take any of the other teams 5 guys or bench on our lineup ... which I would I would say on both Michigan State and VCU, you are getting to this point: it is the style and identity of the Spartans/Rams that eat us up. Intense. They both gave us hard games. We need to be up 4-7 points with 4 minutes to go and extend it to 10. And we cannot do that ... yet. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach